The present invention relates generally to jewelry. More particularly, the invention relates to a removable body-worn ornament, which uses a hook-and-loop-type fastener to fasten the body-worn ornament to a wearer's skin and a method for releasably attaching the body-worn ornament to the wearer's skin.
Ear ornaments are the most common types of body-worn ornaments. An ear ornament is an ornament of jewelry that is worn on a wearer's earlobe. Ear ornaments have been worn on the earlobe of wearers throughout the ages. Such ornaments are commonly referred to as earrings. Attachment devices for attaching the earring to the wearer's earlobe are well known. Clasps or clamps pinch the earlobe. Clamps, in particular, are commonly screwed tightly against the earlobe which is composed of a tough areola and adipose tissue that is not very firm. Clamps are often uncomfortable when the screw is tightened too tight. On the other hand, when the screw is not tight enough, the ear ornament can become detached and lost. Even a tightly affixed clamp may become detached. Further, the bulkiness of the clamp detracts from the dainty, cosmetic appearance of the ornament.
Posts and loops or wires or pins provide alternative attachment devices to the clips or clamps. Posts or loops that are engageable with an opening or hole pierced through the wearer's earlobe. Clutch connectors are engageable with the post to prevent the post from inadvertently disengaging the earlobe. Although such attachment devices are smaller than clasps and clamps and hence, render the ear ornament more cosmetically acceptable in appearance, a person cannot wear an ear ornament supported by such a device until the earlobe has been surgically pierced. Since some people are opposed to having their earlobes pierced, not everyone can wear an ear ornament supported by a post or pin. For those who do decide to have their earlobes pierced, there is associated with the piercing a certain degree of pain and the resulting hole must be kept clean to avoid infection or closing of the hole. Finally, although an ear ornament attached by a post or pin is generally more secure than one attached by a clamp, ornaments attached by posts or pins suffer a real disadvantage. Should the ear ornament become caught, or should someone pull on the ear ornament, the earlobe of the wearer may become painfully torn since the ear ornament will not readily detach.
Regardless of the attachment device employed, these attachment devices can be uncomfortable to the wearer of the ear ornament. These devices can also interfere with the wearer's routine living conditions, such as the use of head apparel, such as snug-fitting hats, earmuffs, and the like, the use of headphones or a telephone handsets, and other times when the ear ornament clip, post or loop is pressed back against the tender tissue behind the earlobe. The foregoing attachment devices and most particularly, posts and loops can also tug at the earlobe when worn by the wearer. In fact, children who get their ears pierced at a very early age for receiving posts or loops of ear ornaments often suffer with unsightly, overly-stretched openings in their earlobes later in life. Ear ornaments that do not interfere with common living conditions or tug on the earlobes or cause unsightly stretching of openings in the earlobes are desired.
In addition to the foregoing deficiencies, operation of clamps and clutch connectors (engageable with ear ornament posts) may be difficult to negotiate for people, especially for children whose motor skills have not fully developed, or elderly who suffer with arthritis or similar conditions that involve loss of motor skills or who may have conditions that impair visual acuity, particularly at close distances. In providing car ornament fasteners, it is important to meet the needs of people who experience these difficulties by providing a fastener that effortlessly attaches the ear ornament to the earlobe.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an attractive, safe ear ornament that may be easily affixed to an earlobe without the necessity of clamps or post, or having the earlobe pierced. Such an ear ornament must be capable of being comfortably and tightly secured to the earlobe with minimum effort.
Alternatives to uncomfortable mechanical attachment devices for ear ornaments are well known. One such alternative is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,362,872, issued to Cheri Rich. The Rich patent describes a non-metallic ear ornament having a fastening element on the back of the ear ornament. Adhesive tape engages the fastening element and is adapted to adhere to an earlobe.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,936,600, issued to Ilene M. Crigler, describes another ear ornament attachment device that secures the ear ornament to the ear by adhesion. Similar to the Rich patent set forth above, the attachment device described in the Crigler patent employs adhesive tape. Unlike the Rich patent, however, the Crigler patent describes the incorporation of a coupling portion of the ear ornament. The invention described in the Crigler patent includes a body portion having an adhesive backing. The adhesive backing is protected with a covering that is adapted to be stripped off just prior to applying the attachment device to a wearer's ear. A coupling portion is fashioned integrally with the body portion. The coupling portion is provided with an opening. Any desired ear ornament provided with a coupling hook may be coupled to the tab by simply passing the coupling through the opening in the tab. Alternatively, the coupling portion may be provided with a hook rather than an opening.
Another adhesively secured ear ornament is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,430, issued to Sue S. Turner. The Turner patent discloses a strip of pliant material having adhesive on at least some portion of both sides of the strip for securing the strip to the earlobe and for securing an ornament to the strip. Alternatively, portions of one side of the strips may have adhesive for securing the strip to the earlobe and perforations may be provided in the strip for accommodating a post or wire of an ear ornament. The portions of the strip having an adhesive coating may be further provided with a releasable covering.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,853, issued to Amy L. Salyer, describes yet another adhesively securable ear ornament. The ornament described in this patent includes a decorative portion, a heat and cold insulating soft-felt backing, and a piece of two-sided adhesive-like tape. The felt backing is permanently secured to the decorative portion. The two-sided adhesive-like tape is overlaid on top of the felt backing. When desired to be worn, the wearer removes a paper covering to expose an exterior side of the adhesive-like tape to reveal the sticky adhesive. The ear ornament can then be pressed tightly against the ear and secured in place. For subsequent use, the used piece of adhesive-like tape can be removed and replaced with a new piece of adhesive-like tape, or a new piece of adhesive-like tape can be overlaid on top of the used piece of adhesive-like tape.